I was going through my various items and came across this old gem in my 'archives' I wanted to share. It was accurate when I wrote it over a decade ago and holds true today.
Your Lying Eyes
I firmly believe that the news we receive is directly influenced by the conglomerates that control the source. As a result, we are influenced by the highest bidder. It is difficult to determine truth from fiction. Do not get me wrong, I do not subscribe to conspiracy theories. However, I will suggest that the truth may be a matter of perception.
Do not believe me? Consider the following scenario a wise physics teacher explained to the class once. Two people are sitting in a room opposite each other. They are both looking at a red delicious apple. Both are sitting at the same height and are actually the same height themselves. On the north side of the apple, person A sees a red, round, plump red delicious apple. On the south side, person B sees a red delicious apple with a worm hanging out the side. The apple is removed and they are asked to explain what they witnessed.
Person A: He explains a wonderfully ripe red delicious apple.
Person B: He explains an apple with a worm hanging out the side.
Who is right? Who is wrong?
This brings up two points:
1. Perception: Perception might be a matter of the witness. We rely on eye witnesses on testimony in courts everyday. We rely on eye witnesses on numerous other issues. It is not to say that an eye witness is not correct, however, it is to say that there may be more than one explanation.
2. Same Apple: There is no doubt that it was the same apple. Yes, there are critics that will say there is one true fact: It is an apple which appears to one person to be a great apple and to another who will state it is an apple with a worm in it. That being said, there is one true fact.
I accept that criticism. I would add that we are rarely told both person A's side and person B's side. Instead, one news source gives us person A's story. In another news source we receive Person B's story. Unfortunately, rarely does the same person hear both person A's and person B's story.
Every day this scenario plays out in Courts. We ultimately leave it up to the 'fact finder' (Judge or Jury) to determine which version, combination of versions, or the unspoken version of the story to determine the 'truth'. There is absolutely a real "truth" but we are almost always presented with an imperfect version of it.
It is important to find an attorney to assist with your legal issue and present the best version of the story to the fact finder. I appreciate every client who puts that trust in me.